10 tragedies that happened on movie sets

Shootings don’t always take place under ideal conditions. Sometimes the plot requires the hero to enter a burning house, dodge bullets and knives, jump from heights, or dive into the depths. Most of these moments are solved with the help of computer graphics, but sometimes players engage in risky experiments for the sake of entertainment. Therefore, even today, not only injuries but also deaths cannot be ignored. We’re talking about accidents that happen on a movie set.

“The Warrens of Virginia”, 1923

The role in this film was the last role of 24-year-old silent film actress Martha Mansfield. According to the scenario, his hero was sitting in a convertible. During the shooting, a passerby who did not know that the shooting was taking place decided to light a cigarette. Without noticing the car, she threw a half-burnt match, and the actress’s fluffy dress instantly caught fire. It was impossible to save Martha. A year later, the film was finally released, although no copies remained.

“Noah’s Ark”, 1928

At the dawn of the film industry, safety rules had not yet been established, so actors did everything at their own risk and risk. In one scene of the epic movie Noah’s Ark, a water tank overturned and everything around it was literally flooded. Three crew members died and another had to have his leg amputated to save his life. Main star Dolores Costello contracted pneumonia and the rest of the victims escaped with broken ribs.

“Conqueror”, 1956

Filming of Dick Powell’s historical drama “The Conqueror”, as it turned out later, took place adjacent to the nuclear test site. Members of the film crew did not suspect anything about this. It turned out that the radiation level significantly exceeded the permissible levels. By 1980, 91 of the 220 crew members had been diagnosed with cancer. At the same time, 46 people had died by then, including the director himself and his leading actors John Wayne, Susan Hayward and Pedro Armendariz. Also, most of the extras were Native Americans. This tragedy changed the industry drastically: Studios have been careful about choosing locations ever since.

“Flower on a Stone”, 1962

The most notorious death in the USSR occurred on the set of “The Flower in the Stone” with 21-year-old actress Inna Borduchenko. She had to play the girl named Christina, who had converted herself to the Presbyterian denomination. According to the scenario, the hero Borduchenko was supposed to get out of the burning hut with a red flag. The weather was hot that August day, so the fire flared up so strongly that the roof collapsed right on top of the actor. Stunned, the film crew did not risk rescuing him from the fire. The only person who pulled the actor out of the flames in his arms was a person from the crowd. However, the burns turned out to be incompatible with life, and two weeks later the actor died. The Soviet government sentenced the film’s director, Anataly Slesarenko, to 5 years in prison, and the film was later completed and edited by Sergei Parajanov. The film was released in 1963 and attracted more than 5 million viewers.

“Game of Death”, 1978

The film, which has a descriptive title, was the last work of legendary martial artist and actor Bruce Lee, who died on July 20, 1973. On that fateful day, Bruce Lee complained of a headache and took the Equagestic tablet. However, his condition deteriorated greatly and he died on set.

Doctors described the cause of death as cerebral edema. It could possibly be caused by an allergic reaction to the drug or hyponatremia – a sharp drop in sodium levels in the blood, causing a lack of fluid in the body. The second was most likely because the actor had his sweat glands removed six months before his death to make him look impressive on camera. As a result, the body became colder, causing heatstroke. True, there is another conspiracy theory: the actor was killed by the Yakuza for refusing to pay a percentage of the films. There is also a version that during rehearsals, Bruce Lee received a serious blow to the head from an extra actor, who was actually a monk, allegedly taking revenge on him for revealing the secrets of kung fu.

“The Twilight Zone”, 1983

A horrific accident on the set of The Twilight Zone claimed the lives of three people. In one of the scenes, a helicopter caught fire as a result of pyrotechnic explosions and crashed directly onto the actors. Vic Morrow and one of the child actors were decapitated by a prop blade, and the second child died under the weight of the falling machine. Five people were later charged with manslaughter, and they were later acquitted.

“The Raven”, 1994

Bruce Lee’s 28-year-old son Brandon also met an unfortunate fate. Alex Proyas’ “The Crow” was supposed to be his film debut, but on March 31, 1993, the actor died on set after being shot in the stomach. It was revealed that the fuze was left in the barrel of the gun, causing heavy bleeding. The operation to rescue Brandon Lee lasted five hours but was unsuccessful. According to doctors, even if the actor survived, he would remain paralyzed forever because his spine was damaged. As in the case of his father, the actor’s death was abuzz with different theories. Fans believed that this was not an accident but a murder with Yakuza involvement. There is also a little mysticism: according to the scenario, the hero Brandon Lee and his bride are killed by a gang of criminals on the eve of the wedding. On that fateful day, the actor was supposed to marry his girlfriend Eliza Hutton.

“Svyaznoy”, 2002

“Svyaznoy” was supposed to be Sergei Bodrov Jr.’s second directorial work. The star of the movie “Brother”, along with the film crew, died in the Karmadon Gorge at the end of September 2002, when the Kolka glacier unexpectedly disappeared. It must be said that the weather was clear in the morning, so nothing foreshadowed such disasters. As a result, the team of more than 120 people was buried under 60 meters of snow. Their deaths caused the whole country to mourn. Rescue efforts in North Ossetia lasted two years but were unsuccessful. No trace remains of that tragedy. Local residents are sure that the place Bodrov chose for shooting was a portal to the other world. If we believe this, the victims are alive and in another dimension.

“Midnight Driver”, 2014

The Midnight Rider film was never completed due to a fatal incident in the early days of shooting. The plan was to film near the railway, but as the train approached, one of the camera assistants, Sarah Jones, became trapped in the equipment. The crew was then unable to save him in time. The film’s director, Randall Miller, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and released in 2016.

“Rust”, 2020 – …

The most recent on-set death occurred in 2021 on the set of the western film Rust in Santa Fe County, United States. According to the script, Alec Baldwin was supposed to aim directly at the camera, while cameraman Galina Hutchins was behind him. The prop gun turned out to be loaded, leading to his instant death. This incident led to the removal of the Rust series from broadcast and legal proceedings. However, in April 2023, the manslaughter charge against the actor was dropped. Baldwin also said that he will continue to act in the series, of which he is one of the producers.